Ex-actor, lawmaker Dennis Roldan says kidnapping charge ruined him

Former actor and lawmaker Dennis Roldan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Former actor and lawmaker Dennis Roldan told the court on Tuesday that he found as incredible and inconsistent the testimony of his two co-accused tagging him as mastermind of the kidnapping of a 3-year-old Chinese Filipino boy.

Testifying in his defense, Roldan (Mitchell Gumabao in real life) told Pasig regional trial court Branch 159 Judge Rodolfo Bonifacio that agents of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) were forced to fabricate the charges against him because they had to cover up their mistakes.

“They made a mistake about my identity. They took me from my house without a warrant. If they had personal knowledge about my involvement [in the kidnapping], how come they did not get a warrant?” he said.

“My reputation was destroyed. We are talking about my life here,” said Roldan who earlier claimed he has become a full-time pastor with Jesus Christ the Life Giver Ministry Inc. based in Quezon City.

Aside from PACER agents, Roldan’s co-accused Octovio Garces and Alberto Pagdanganan had also testified that they were ordered by Roldan and his alleged girlfriend, Suzette Wang, to kidnap the boy who was later rescued unharmed by authorities.